Legend of Suiton
by Bow Down and Beg
Summary: After being kicked out of the orphanage at the age of four, Naruto is forced to survive until Sarutobi finds him and takes him in. After seeing the kind old man performing ninjutsu Naruto shows a strong desire to become a shinobi. During his training he discovers his aptitude for Suiton jutsu, making the Nidaime Hokage look like an ant in comparison.
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER: i DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT APPEARS IN THIS STORY.**

**Prologue**

The Village Hidden in the Leaves, one of the five great shinobi villages located in the Elemental Nations. Located in the prestigious Land of Fire the village itself is located inside of great, thick forests grown by the first leader of the village himself, the Shodaime Hokage, Hashirama Senju. It is more of a small city instead of a village though, containing a population of quite a few thousand. Within this population there are select individuals who train in the usage of an energy called chakra. With the usage of chakra they are able to do amazing feats in the likes of walking on water and breathing fire. The shinobi are the military of the Hidden Villages, and if there is ever an upset in the balance of power one of the Hidden Villages will no doubt capitalize, whether it be subtle or full blown war,

There have already been three shinobi world wars, devastating the political and geological landscape. Thousands perished and lay in unmarked graves, fueling the cycle of revenge and hatred leading to more wars. Eventually the leaders of villages sought new ways to wage war and so they turned to the Biju, nine tailed beasts of chaos and natural disasters. Before the First Shinobi World War the Shodaime Hokage using his Mokuton bloodline tamed the biju. Calming the beasts and capturing them. Seeking to keep the balance of power in the Elemental nations Hashirama distributed the bijus to the other shinobi villages. But this only paved way to the First Shinobi World War. By giving the villages the biju he created something which could be a blessing and a curse. Because someone eventually came up with the idea of using fuinjutsu, the art of sealing, to seal the bijus into human hosts, called Jinchuuriki the power of human sacrifice.

They were treated as nothing more than weapons in the villages, often seen as the biju sealed inside of them, not the humans they really are. One biju, the strongest known as the Kyuubi no Kitsune, was captured and sealed inside Mito Uzumaki, the wife of Hashirama. He was sealed due to a battle between Hashirama and Madara Uchiha, another founder of The Village Hidden in the Leaves. Somehow during their epic battle Madara was able to summon the Kyuubi and bent it to his will and had it aide in his fight. But Mito thinking fast helped her husband and sealed the Kyuubi inside herself. Madara was later defeated and was believed to be dead.

And so Hashirama returned to Konoha (Leaf Village) and reigned as Hokage until he later died in combat. He appointed his brother Tobirama Senju as Nidaime Hokage. Tobirama possessed a strong affinity towards water and was considered the strongest in using Suiton (water release) jutsu. He reigned until he was killed in the Second Shinobi World War fighting Kumo (Cloud village) shinobi to allow his men to retreat and survive. But before he died he appointed Hiruzen Sarutobi as his successor. Upon returning to the village Hiruzen was appointed the Sandaime Hokage, he led Konoha through the second war and into the third.

And in the Third Shinobi World War Konoha looked on the verge of defeat, but then a new hero arose, Minato Namikaze who with a single space-time jutsu, the Hirishin, where he could throw a single kunai into a throb of enemies and a single yellow flash later could eliminate them in seconds. His actions brought moral to Konoha shinobis and brought him much fame and glory, but made him a sworn enemy of Iwa (Rock village). Hiruzen who was getting older wanted a successor. So he took note of Minato's actions and made him the Yondaime Hokage.

And so Minato who achieved his dreams married the love of his life, Kushina Uzumaki the new container of the Kyuubi and the last known survivor of the Uzumaki clan. They later found out that they would become parents and so they were ecstatic. But when Kushina gave birth they were forced to take the utmost precautions. For you see there is one situation where a container's seal can be weakened to the point where the biju can escape, and that is childbirth. For the first moments it all seemed fine and the birth was going well, until the masked man appeared. He called himself Madara Uchiha and he found the place Kushina was giving birth and attacked. He killed the medical staff and Anbu present and engaged Minato in combat.

The masked man was able to separate Kushina from Minato and free the Kyuubi. He then sent the Kyuubi on a rage by using the Mangekyo Sharingan. The Kyuubi then headed towards Konoha destroying everything in its path, nothing could stop it. Many died because of its rage filled mind and there only seemed one solution. Minato having fought the masked man off had no choice but to use his newborn son as a Jinchuuriki.

Minato and Kushina's bodies were hand in hand next to their baby son, Naruto. When the Sandaime discovered their bodies he picked up Naruto and felt tears run down his cheeks. He ordered his Anbu escorts to take the bodies of Minato and Kushina to the morgue, and then he turned over to Naruto and gave him a keen eye. The boy was crying his heart out, somehow sensing that he had just lost his parents at an inconceivable young age. The boy had bright blonde hair and ocean blue eyes; he looked so much like his father already. But the most startling feature on his face was six distinctive birth marks, almost like whiskers. And on his stomach was a complex seal, the very seal holding the Kyuubi back.

And so Sarutobi turned and left, heading towards the village that he would be force to lead once again, he would first need to restore order and then call a council meeting to assess the state of affairs in the village.

So we now find ourselves in the council room five days after the Kyuubi attack. There are three different sides to the council room separated by group. The first is the left side table consisting of the civilian council. They are comprised of wealthy merchants and influential citizens. The right side table is the location of the Shinobi council consisting of the clan heads of the shinobi clans of Konoha. They comprise of: the Aburame led by Shibi Aburame, the Akimichi led by Choza Akimichi, the Yamanaka led by Inoichi Yamanaka, the Nara led by Shikaku Nara, the Uchiha led by Fugaku Uchiha, the Hyuga led by Hiashi Hyuga, and the Inuzuka led by Tsume Inuzuka. And the third side is where the village elders and the Hokage himself sit. The elders comprise of the Sandaime's old teammates Homaru Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, and his old rival Danzo Shimura. They were all in their own conversations when suddenly the doors to the chambers burst open and Sarutobi strode in.

All conversation immediately died down as the Sandaime went to his seat and sat down. Sarutobi then raised his hand and spoke in a voice commanding respect, "We are all here so let us get started. I want a report on our current situation. Hyuga-san you may tell us first."

With this Hiashi stood up and turned towards the Hokage. "Thank you Hokage-sama. My clan is currently doing well our compound only suffered light damage and our clan took light casualties." And this went on each clan head presenting their reports to the Hokage. When the last clan head was finished Sarutobi turned to the civilian side.

"Thank you clan heads. Our shinobi forces while taking losses our still numerable enough to act as a defense force. In due time you will need to prepare your clan members for an influx in missions so we can show we still have a sizeable force, we cannot let any of the other shinobi villages know our current struggles." He then turned to the civilian side. "And how are the civilians holding up Haruno-san?" He addressed to a pink haired woman on the left table.

"We are doing as well as can be expected Hokage-sama. But there are a sizable amount of civilians who believe the Kyuubi isn't really defeated. For all we know it just disappeared after the Yondaime died. So many of us are wondering what exactly happened, Hokage-sama."

After she was finished she sat down and everyone's eyes turned to the Hokage, also wondering the same thing. Sarutobi let out a sigh and rubbed his face with both hands. "I know exactly how the beast was defeated. The Yondaime used a kinjutsu to defeat the biju. He sealed it inside a young orphan boy." After a long session of thinking Sarutobi decided to not let Naruto's parentage to be known. The only ones who did know were Sarutobi himself, Minato's sensei Jirayia, and possibly Minato and Kushina's closest friends.

And as he expected before he could continue the room burst into yells and screams for the boy's death, though those came from the Civilian side while the shinobi side minus Fugaku merely sat and contemplated their feelings and decisions. Meanwhile at the elder's table Danzo sat with a narrowed eye. '_A Jinchuuriki? This is my chance, I must have this boy!'_

Having enough Sarutobi slammed his fist down onto the table. "Silence! Enough! The Yondaime wanted the boy to be seen as a hero. He is not a 'demon' but an orphan who was chosen to save this village."

"But Hokage-sama the boy is surely the Kyuubi! Now is our chance to kill the demon once and for all!" This time a random merchant form the civilian side stood up.

Bu just as Sarutobi was going to respond Danzo cut in, "Fools! Do you not realize the chance we have? We have a jinchuuriki of the strongest biju. If we train the boy Konoha can become the strongest village in the nations!"

'_So that is your plan Danzo. Well tough shit, I made a promise to Minato that I would protect his son, and I plan to do just that.' _Sarutobi thought.

And so on it went the two sides arguing back and forth, the civilians wanting Naruto to be put to death and the clan heads and the Hokage wanting him to be given a chance to live. At the end of the meeting Sarutobi decided to make Naruto's status as a Jinchuuriki an S class secret, punishable by death. But sadly that wasn't meant to be because as soon as the meeting was over one of the civilian council members spread word of Naruto's status.

As for Naruto's future, he was decided to be given to the orphanage. Sarutobi wished he could adopt him but all attempts at adoption were denied by the civilian council and Fugaku refusing to have the so called 'demon' be a part of a clan. And so Sarutobi walked back to his office and opened the door. There next to his desk was a baby crib holding young Naruto. Sarutobi walked over to the crib and picked up young Naruto. Then an Anbu body flickered into view and kneeled to the Hokage. He wore a dog mask and had gravity defying silver hair. This was Hatake Kakashi, the former student of Minato Namikaze. He was one of the few who knew Naruto's heritage.

"Inu-san how was watching over young Naruto?"

"Uneventful Hokage-sama. May I ask what will happen to Naruto?"

"It has been decided that he will be placed in the orphanage."

"What? Please Hokage-sama I beg you let me take care of him. He deserves to have a family!"

"I know that Kakashi. But you are my most valuable Anbu member, I need you in this time of crisis performing mission for the village."

"But what about Jiraiya? Is he not the boy's godfather? Where is he?"

"Jiraiya himself wanted to take the boy with him. But I need him and his spy network, travelling like that would not be a place for a young boy to grow up."

"And growing up in a place that hates him is better?" By this point Kakashi was standing up, mask off.

"Enough Kakashi. I know this. I have tried to adopt the boy but it was shot down. This is our best choice, either this or he gets turned into an emotionless weapon. I do not want young Naruto to be turned into like one of Danzo's Root puppets."

"Yes Hokage-sama please forgive me. I'll excuse myself now."

And so Naruto was given his mother's last name of Uzumaki to protect himself from his father's enemies. And with that was sent to the orphanage where the matron took him with open arms. But as soon as the newly reinstated Hokage was gone, the hell began.


	2. Chapter 1 Entering The World

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS IN THIS STORY**

**Chapter 1**

Humanity fears what it cannot comprehend. They will act in that fear and lack of understanding; sometimes it will simply be staying away from the object of their fear. And other times they will act on that fear; hating that object and making sure they go out of their way to let that object know.

In Konoha young Naruto is one such object of scrutiny. For four long years, ever since he could actually process thoughts, he realized that something was wrong. Well, he would have noticed if something was wrong if he was not at the tender age of four. You see, young Naruto had never experienced anything different from the matrons at the orphanage. It was always the same routine day in and day out. Left in a place they called the "basement" for what felt like eternity, locked in with rats and treated like one himself. He was barely fed any food at all, only getting enough just to survive. He was never physically hounded but sometimes the mental and emotional stress can be ten times worse than a simple beating.

And yet Naruto was still able to read and write. How you ask? Well there were some bright days for little Naruto after all. There were the days that the funny old man with the weird shaped hat came by to see him. These were the few times Naruto was able to get a real bath and to actually see the sun outside. And then there were the emotionless men with blank faces. They stopped by every couple of weeks or so. They talked to Naruto, teaching him how to talk and understand people better. They never told him their names though…

And the basement is where we now find Naruto. Sitting in one of the corners of the basement Naruto is once again trying to pass his time. _'Eight…nine…ten! Yeah I can count to ten! Now only if one of those guys can show up and tell me what comes after that… Why me? Is this… Is this the same way everyone grew up?' _By this point Naruto's gaze is shifted down, looking over his limited attire. An old white shirt, torn in several places and a black pair of shorts only in slightly better condition than the shirt is. _'I hope that old man visits me again soon.'_

**XXX**

Daisuke was a man in his early thirties working at the Konoha orphanage. He was not really happy with his life so far, satisfied maybe but not happy. He had nearly lost his wife in the Kyuubi attack but was spared from losing her. Though he may have not have lost his wife he saw many other people who did lose their loved ones, and so when he heard that the demon was given human form _and_ allowed to live! He was furious and so when the Hokage dropped baby Naruto off he swore to himself to make sure the demon's life hell. And he was going to fulfill that promise today.

He was tired of the demon constantly eating food that could be given to the other children. It was bad enough that he was even allowed to stay here, the audacity of the Hokage, but he no doubt decreased the chances of the other children from being adopted by simply being near the demonic entity! And those poor orphans deserved to have a family, but no the very reason they did not have a family, the Kyuubi, was living right under their noses. Mocking them!

And that for Daisuke was the last straw; no longer would the demon be allowed to get free food and shelter. No, he would make sure that would cease immediately. And with that last thought Daisuke made the last few steps to the door in the basement and brought out a set of keys.

**XXX**

Naruto heard the door creaking open and raised his head up. The door opened fully and a man's figure appeared in the now semi lit basement. The man raised a hand to the side of the door and hit a light switch. Naruto instinctually shut his eyes from the bright light now emanating from the ceiling.

The man exited the doorway and walked over to Naruto. He raised his hand and grabbed Naruto's shoulder in a vice like grip and hoisted the young boy up. Naruto sensing the pain opened his shut eyes and looked at the arm grasping his shoulder. He now recognized the man as one of the people who would bring him food every now and then.

"Look at what we have here, a little pipsqueak demon! You're smaller than I remember Kyuubi!" With that said Daisuke then threw Naruto to the opposite wall with a resounding crack.

"AH!" Naruto had never felt so much pain in his entire life. Sure there were the stomach pains from hunger but after a while he grew used to them, but this, this was unbelievable. The pain spread throughout his entire body making it feel like there was liquid metal scorching through his veins. Naruto once again opened shut eyes except this time with uncontrollable tears running down his cheeks.

"Did that hurt demon! That was nothing compared to what your victims went through!"

Naruto was confused, very, very confused. What was a demon? He thought he was human, not a 'demon' as the matron put it. But then the actions of Daisuke entered his thoughts, why the hell did this man just hurt him? As far as little Naruto knew he did nothing wrong, he was just sitting in the basement like he always did. "Why did you hurt me? What did I do to you?"

"What did you do? What didn't you do! But enough talking I came here to get rid of you and I plan to do just that!" With his words spoken Daisuke walked over to Naruto and once again grabbed him. Tossing the resisting boy over his shoulder Daisuke walked out of the basement, cut the lights off and shut the door. He then proceeded to exit the orphanage and walked up to the front gates. It was nighttime so there was no one on the street passing by the orphanage. Daisuke then removed the struggling boy from his shoulder and chucked Naruto over the gate and onto the street.

Naruto landed on the dirt road with another loud crack, it felt like he broke something else _again_. He then heard Daisuke's voice, "And make sure you never come back demon!" Heeding Daisuke's words Naruto attempted to pick himself up but failed. And so not sparing a glance to the new world around him Naruto did the only thing he could. He crawled away. Naruto crawled at a snail's pace but eventually managed to get himself out of sight of the orphanage. He ended up making it to an alley in between two, two story buildings and took refuge inside of a moldy cardboard box.

**XXX**

Daisuke watched the broken blonde crawl away with a smug grin on his face. He had never felt so proud of any of his accomplishments before. He made a note to himself to spread the word of how the demon was alive and to tell everyone Naruto's description.

And with that thought concluded Daisuke turned around and walked back inside of the orphanage, happier than ever before.

**XXX**

Naruto awoke to a bright light, brighter than he had ever seen before. He opened his eyes and studied his surroundings; he was in a cardboard box by a dumpster in a deserted looking alleyway. He then turned his head towards that bright light that had awoken him only moments ago. When he did find the light he was forced to turn away immediately, it was just so bright. _'Ah! What is that light? Wait a minute I'm not in the basement. I'm outside! That must mean that light is the sun! Gosh I haven't seen it in forever. Wait… how am I outside, I should be back in the basement at the orphanage?'_

With that final thought all of yesterday night's events raced into Naruto's mind, the man throwing into a wall and him getting dumped onto the street. Naruto couldn't believe it, the only place he knew as a home was taken from him! Even if it was a basement, it still served as his home, a shitty home, but a home regardless. And after the events finished playing out in Naruto's mind a new feeling and thinking pattern entered.

The feeling of despair, what was he to do now? At the orphanage he still received food, very little of it but sill enough to survive. How was he supposed to get food now? The last time he was fed was a week ago. That was still just a mangy slice of bread and a glass of water.

'_What do I do? Kami-sama above what do I do? How do I survive this now? I don't know anything about the outside world. I don't know how to survive!' _And the thoughts continued,dragging Naruto even deeper into the feeling of despair and anguish. Naruto sank so low he just couldn't hold dam back any longer. And so he sobbed, he sobbed tears of pain and loneliness that shouldn't belong to someone so young. As he continued to cry Naruto kept getting tired and tired until he eventually fell into the warm embrace of exhaustion.

**XXX**

Hiruzen Sarutobi the Sandaime Hokage was not having a good day. No, he was having a terrible day in fact. The paperwork was once again back flowed into the gutters, most of it the Civilian Council trying to gain more power, or the Civilian Council wanting Naruto to be put to death. So basically, a shitty ass day if there ever was one. As Sarutobi once again stamped 'Declined' on a sheet of paper his thoughts once again turned to Naruto.

It had been at least two months since his last visit to the blonde, whiskered boy. He was four now and his birthday was coming up in a month or so, thinking this Sarutobi decided to visit Naruto that day and take him out to the village. You see for every year since the Kyuubi attack there has been a festival held in honor of those who died in the biju's rampage. Deciding that Naruto should celebrate his birthday for once, Sarutobi planned his visit.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door to his office. Hiruzen looked up and answered, "Come in."

The door opened and his secretary walked in, holding a pile of paperwork. "More papers for you to sign Hokage-sama." The Sandaime's cries of anguish could be heard around the village.

**XXX**

Naruto was sleeping in a content manner. Outside his body looked to be at peace, no emotions displayed, just a calmness only achieved by sleeping. Inside of Naruto though, was a different story. In Naruto's mind he was a having a very complicated series of images and dreams pass in front of him.

At first Naruto just found himself in a black vacuum of space, devoid of anything except pitch blackness and Naruto himself. Then slowly, but steadily the vacuum changed. It changed at first into what appeared to be a small island, only two-hundred yards across and one hundred yards up and down. The island had a white sandy beach all around, with a thicket of quite a few palm trees in the center. Looking to the right of the island Naruto saw a calm and gentle ocean, with only a slight wind breeze, and a clear blue sky. Then Naruto turned his head to the left and saw a very different scene. He saw tough and wild waves, cyclones and whirlpools, a raging wind and finally, thick black storm clouds covering the sky.

But before Naruto could do anything more, either digest the scenes he laid witness to or explore the island, the dreamscape shifted. It changed into now what looked like a complex maze of hallways, with water an inch thick filling the corridors. Then Naruto was forced into the dark maze, barely able to see.

So Naruto stood up on shaky legs and thought aloud, "Whe-Where am I? What is this place?" Naruto then tried walking forward only to trip and fall face first into the murky water. "AH! Why is it so dark in here?!"

As if responding to his question, torches all around the maze of hallways set themselves alight, turning the once zero visibility hallway to a well-lit environment. Naruto stood up and stared in wonder at the spectacle, _'Did I do that? Bu-But how? Where do I go from here?' _Naruto now able to see clearly enough set out into the maze once again, only to come to a fork in the road, _'Great now what? How the hell do I get out of here, left or right?'_

On this went, with Naruto navigating the maze over and over again, coming to many dead ends and crossroads, but only to be met with failure in finding the center.

"Enough already, I just want to find whatever the heck is in this maze and get out of here!" And once again seeming to respond to his demands the maze complied. The hallways began to shift, changing and changing, left to right side to side, this entire spectacle leaving one very bewildered Naruto Uzumaki.

And finally it came to an end; all that remained was a single lit hallway. It expanded in only two directions, behind Naruto the hallway looked like it extended on and on forever, and in front of Naruto the hallway opened up into what seemed like a large room. _'What just happened? Di-Did I just do that?' _

Deciding to move onward Naruto walked and entered the large open room, what he saw left him shocked. In the center of the room there appeared to be a large cage of some sort, held together by the walls of the room and two large, golden gates. In the center of the gates was a piece of paper with a kanji written on it. But just as Naruto was about step forward once again the dream once again shifted, this time to once again the black vacuum. And then Naruto saw a white light, and he woke up.


	3. Chapter 2 What is a Home?

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT APPEARS IN THIS STORY.**

**Chapter 2**

Naruto awoke from his slumber to discover that he was still in the cardboard box in the alley, upon further inspection he also discovered that it was nighttime, and with it being night… it was cold, very cold. Shivering due to only having ripped clothes as a means of protection from the temperature, Naruto brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Huddling in the corner of the box Naruto reflected on what he just dreamt.

'_That was…weird. First an island, then a giant maze with a cage, is that supposed to mean something or did I just have a dream?'_

Naruto's thought process was interrupted by his stomach erupting in a pitiful growl of hunger. Naruto shifted his attention to his aching stomach and held it in pain. Going a week without food was starting to finally affect his already malnourished body. Knowing that he needed something to eat, Naruto forced himself through the gut wrenching pain and stood up. He exited his cardboard box and took note of his surroundings.

The alleyway was simple, nothing to distinguish it from the others scattered around the streets of Konoha. It was filled with old forgotten boxes and trash, with rain drains on either side of the buildings. Perhaps the most important piece of scenery in the alley was the dumpster. Little Naruto on the rare occasions that he was let out to see the kind old man would sometimes be taken out to the park by the old man, on the way there they would walk across Konoha. During one of these walks Naruto saw a large green object like the one he is currently standing by, upon asking the old man what the "giant green thing" was, Naruto received the explanation that the large green object was called a dumpster. Naruto then learned that dumpsters held a variety of things, from trash to worn out furniture.

But now Naruto remembered nothing else but one single thing that the old man said was also in the dumpsters, food. Even if it would be moldy and half ate, it was still food, and right now Naruto needing anything edible he could get his hand on. But alas, there was a major problem with Naruto's grand idea, he was too damn short. The dumpster was at least twice his size, how was he supposed to even get to the dumpster's height?

With that thought Naruto once again looked around the alley, trying to find something to help him with his current predicament. Briefly he pondered using the boxes scattered around, but upon several minutes of thinking he concluded that all the boxes were too small or broken. The only one remotely big enough was the cardboard box he slept in, but Naruto discarded using it as it was the only box big enough for him to sleep in and he did not want to risk damaging it.

Naruto then looked over the alley again, but still could not come up with anything. But with every passing second Naruto's hunger grew and so he decided to head out of the alley and see what he could find.

Walking out of the alley Naruto once again found himself in a deserted street. Naruto then stepped onto the street and surveyed his surroundings; it looked to be a simple side street through Konoha, couple apartment buildings, a grocery store, and a couple of food stands and restaurants. Naruto did not know how late it was now, but it was late enough that all the businesses were closed for the day.

Naruto finally decided to walk the street and hopefully come across an open food stand or restaurant that would give him food. But as Naruto continued to walk down the street he only came across more and more closed buildings, yet he remained convicted and decided to go on forward just a little bit longer.

**XXX**

Teuchi was having a stupendous day. Business was better than ever and he was making enough money to expand his food stand, Ramen Ichiraku. Yes, life was good for Teuchi and his twelve year old daughter, Ayame.

Tonight, though Teuchi was forced to stay a little later than usual at the ramen stand due to the influx of customers. So Teuchi stayed at the stand and started washing the dishes that had been used throughout the day.

Standing in the back of the stand next to the sink Teuchi took the soap and a dirty ramen bowl and began cleaning. Suddenly he heard the bell on the curtains at the front of the shop ring, signaling someone was there. Dropping the bowl into the sink and grabbing a nearby frying pan Teuchi walked back into the serving area of the ramen stand. Looking all around Teuchi didn't see anything out of place in his field of vision.

"Uh… chef-san?" Looking down Teuchi saw a mess of blond hair.

**XXX**

Naruto made his way down the street, it seemed like he had traveled forever down this street. Just as Naruto was about to give up all hope, he came across what could only be a gift from Kami above. A food stand… with its lights on! Truly a gift from the heavens, maybe now he could get some food. Naruto fell to his knees with his arms extended skywards, anime tears were pouring down his face while he exclaimed in joyous celebration, "Praise Kami! An open food stand!"

The anime tears stopped pouring from Naruto's eyes as he stood up from his knees and skipped in merriment to the food stand. The opening to the food stand was closed off from the street by a dark blue curtain that fell to nearly a foot off the ground. Naruto looked above the curtains to see a sign with varying kanji written on it, He would later it had the name of the food stand emblazoned on it, 'Ramen Ichiraku'.

Parting the curtains Naruto walked into the food stand and was met with the interior; directly facing Naruto was a bar countertop with a half dozen or so stools placed in front of the bar. Behind the bar was a wall with an opening in the left side, leading to the kitchen area of the food stand.

Hearing a ringing noise above his head Naruto looked up and saw a bell attached to by a rope to the curtains. Hearing footsteps Naruto snapped his head back to the front and was met with the image of an elderly man with graying hair in full on chef's attire. In his left hand was a frying pan and his gaze was currently scanning the entirety of the stand, well, everywhere but down.

Naruto had a growing sweat drop on his head as he looked at the chef. After a few moments of not being noticed Naruto coughed in his hand and said uncertainly, "Uh… chef-san?" As soon as the word left his mouth the chef immediately shifted his eyes to the source, Naruto gulped and noticed the chef's grip on the frying pan tightening then loosening, before he merely placed the frying pan on the counter.

Teuchi placed the frying pan on the counter, even while doing so he was still studying his new guest. _'Cuts, bruises, smells like shit, what the hell happened to the kid? His clothes are in tatters and nearly his entire body is covered in dirt. Looks like he hasn't eaten in a while either if the shape of his stomach is anything to say, seriously what causes this kind of shit?'_

Teuchi's gaze at the blond boy softened and he asked in a gentle voice, "Hey kid, you alright? What happened to you?"

Naruto surprised by the rather gentle tone was just about to reply when his stomach decided to make itself known. Roaring in a way only a starving stomach could, Naruto grasped his stomach with one arm before using his other hand to scratch the back of his head in a sheepish manner. "Sorry, I haven't eaten in a while." Giving a small chuckle Naruto removed both of his hands and once again looked back at the chef.

Teuchi just shook his head at the blue eyed boy's apology. "Don't say you're sorry kid, it's most likely not your fault. So why don't you wait here while I solve that little stomach problem with some good old fashioned miso ramen, eh?"

Naruto cocked his head to his right side, giving a confused expression that would make any girl or woman just want to hug the poor boy to death. "Heh? Chef-san what in the world is ramen?"

Teuchi instantly went into overdrive to the kitchen area and prepared a bowl of ramen, he would give this poor, poor boy a meal of the ages. Oh to think, his whole life, not having a single taste of ramen! Oh, yes, he would remedy this situation immediately.

Naruto had another sweat drop on his head as he watched the chef seemingly disappear before his eyes, Naruto would have believed that the chef had left in thin air if he did not hear the chef cooking this so called ramen in the back of the food stand. Just deciding to roll with the flow Naruto climbed onto one of the stools facing the bar and sat down.

Naruto did not have to wait long for the chef to be finished, only a few minutes had actually passed. The chef came back into Naruto's view holding a steaming bowl of freshly made ramen in his hand. Setting the bowl down on the counter in front of Naruto, Teuchi reached down behind the counter and grabbed a container full of chopsticks. Grabbing a pair, Teuchi handed the chopsticks over to Naruto.

'_A stick? Why is he handing me a stick?' _Feeling nervous, Naruto shakily raised his hand towards Teuchi's outstretched hand and took hold of the chopsticks. Grasping the chopsticks in his hand Naruto directed his attention to Teuchi, seeing his questioning gaze Teuchi merely raised an eyebrow.

'_He doesn't know what chopsticks are? Much less how to even use them, well Teuchi looks like you're going to be playing teacher now.' _Picking up a stool from the opposite side of the bar Teuchi placed it in front of Naruto and grabbed another pair of chop sticks. Holding his hands outstretched towards Naruto with the chopsticks facing up.

"Alright kid, pay attention and do exactly like I do." In one swift and clean movement, with the experience of a professional Teuchi broke apart the chopsticks and now held the two newly separated sticks in a hand each.

Naruto watched the separation with a keen look, moving his hands into the same position Teuchi just held Naruto prepared to separate the chopsticks. With a snap the sticks were broken apart and Naruto now was once again imitating Teuchi. "So uh… now what chef-san?"

Teuchi repositioned the chopsticks to where they were now situated in one hand, "Now we eat. Once again, do as I do."

Naruto began following Teuchi's movements, mimicking him like a parrot mimics speech. Soon Naruto was prepared to actually taste his first bowl of ramen. Naruto would remember this moment as the first time he felt like it was heaven on earth. Tentatively bringing the chopsticks to the ramen bowl Naruto followed the motions Teuchi showed him and grabbed some ramen with the chopsticks. Slowly edging the food closer and closer to his mouth Naruto finally overcame his nervousness and swallowed the food, the reaction was immediate. Naruto's eyes widened fully and he shot off his stool, somehow managing to float in midair for several seconds. "This is the food of the gods! Surely Kami above has blessed this food!"

Teuchi gave a merry laugh at the scene he just laid witness to; he could tell right away that Naruto and ramen would have a relationship until the end of the boy's days. Calming down Teuchi watched on as Naruto floated back down to his seat, and as soon as Naruto's bottom made contact with the stool he was devouring the ramen faster than Teuchi could even register it. Teuchi gave a small chuckle, he was not surprised when Naruto finished slurping the rest of the noodles and raised the bowl to his lips and downed the remaining broth, nor was he surprised when Naruto set the bowl back down and looked up almost pleadingly at Teuchi. _'Ha! I haven't seen anyone eat a bowl of ramen that fast since Kushina-chan last came here.'_ Ending that unsettling chain of thoughts Teuchi glanced back down at the empty bowl._ 'Well might as well make a few more bowls, I'm going to need them.' _With that thought concluded Teuchi patted Naruto on the head and headed back to the kitchen.

Naruto had never tasted anything so good in his life! He just couldn't get enough of the stuff, so when Teuchi left to go the kitchen Naruto was immensely overjoyed to get more of the delicious food. As Naruto waited and listened to Teuchi make more of the ramen, he thought of what he would do when inevitably asked about his situation. _'He is going to ask… no doubt about that. Might as well as just tell him what I can.' _Hearing footsteps Naruto broke himself out of his inner dialogue and looked up to see Teuchi walk back to the bar with three hot, steaming bowls of ramen in his hands. Watching as Teuchi set down the bowls in front of him, Naruto began drooling from the bottom of his lip. Noticing this Teuchi grinned and grabbed a napkin and handed it to Naruto, pointing at the corner of his mouth all the while. Naruto, realizing the problem, hastily dragged the napkin across his face. Sheepishly rubbing the back of his head Naruto gave a weak laugh.

Teuchi shook his head and pushed one of the ramen bowls to Naruto. Naruto quickly grasped his chopsticks and dove into the bowl, intent on leaving no ramen in the bowl. As Naruto started once again eating Teuchi sat watching him while scratching his chin, deep in thought. Deciding to find out more about his young patron, Teuchi snapped his fingers in front of Naruto, exceeding in gaining the boy's attention, although it did take a number of snaps to break Naruto from his ramen eating daze.

Naruto looked up from his half eaten ramen bowl, hearing the sound of snapping. Looking up to see Teuchi's amused expression Naruto gulped down the last of the ramen noodles in his mouth and wiped it with the napkin.

"So kid, can you tell me your name?" Teuchi started his questioning, eager to find out more about why a young boy was wondering the streets, especially at night.

"Naruto, chef-san. May I know your name chef-san?" Naruto answered back, his eyes occasionally darting down to his ramen bowl.

"Well of course I have a name Naruto! You can call me Teuchi, owner and chef of the best ramen stand in the world." By the end of his introduction Teuchi was on his feet, hands on his hips and face set in a comical grin.

Naruto laughed and edged his hand closer to the seemingly forgotten ramen bowl. Teuchi seeing this sat back down and once again gained Naruto's attention. "Not so fast Naruto, we still have lots more to discuss. For one, what are you doing out on the streets at this time of night? Not even including the fact that you're alone."

At his question Naruto dropped his head and slouched over on his shoulders. "I had no other place to go Teuchi-san; I was kicked out of the orphanage I lived at all my life."

When Teuchi heard this he was horrified, why the hell would an orphanage kick out a young boy? "Why would you be kicked out Naruto? Someone as young as you surely couldn't have done something so wrong to warrant that."

Naruto raised his head up and wiped the tears that were threating to fall from his eyes. "I don't know if I did anything wrong Teuchi-san, if I did no one told me. I don't know why I was treated differently from the other kids there, I just know I was."

The ramen chef was appalled; to treat a child such a way was not right, no matter what the supposed crime was. Teuchi pushed the ramen bowl towards Naruto, trying to cheer the small blonde boy up by some small measure, no matter how small of a degree. "Here Naruto eat up, you look like your still hungry."

Naruto accepted the gesture and picked up his chopsticks, intent on finishing the rest of the bowl. As he shoved the rest of the noodles into his mouth Teuchi was busy thinking once again about the blond boy. "Naruto how about you tell me about yourself? After you get done I'll tell you some things about me, does that sound okay."

Naruto drowned the broth of the second bowl before answering Teuchi's question. "Sure thing Teuchi-san, what do you want to know?"

"Oh what you like, what you want in life, your stance on politics things like that."

Naruto cocked his head sideways, "Well I like the old man that comes to visit me once in a while, not to mention that he has this cool, weird pointed hat. I also as of now LOVE ramen. I'm not sure what I want in life honestly, and I sure don't know what 'politics' is."

Teuchi had a raised eyebrow at the first part of Naruto's answer, _'Old man with a pointed hat? Sounds like it could be the Hokage, but why would the Hokage visit a simple orphan?' _By the second part of his answer Teuchi gave a slight chuckle, and upon hearing the third part he resisted the urge to slap himself. Of course a small child straight out of the orphanage would not know what politics are. "Don't worry about what politics are Naruto; you'll learn what they are when you're older." With his statement concluded Teuchi placed the second to last remaining ramen bowl in front of Naruto. "You better finish these bowls Naruto; we wouldn't want them to go to waste by getting cold would we?"

Naruto pushed aside his finished ramen bowl and eagerly accepted the bowl, wasting no time Naruto once again dove into the ramen bowl. Though before taking another gulp of the delicious noodles Naruto told Teuchi, "Teuchi-san didn't you say that when I was done you would tell me some things about yourself?"

Teuchi scratched his chin and gave a small smile. "Your right Naruto I did tell you that didn't I? Well what would you like to know about me?"

Naruto put down his finished ramen bowl and grabbed the other, "Well, anything I guess. I'm not really sure how these things go."

Teuchi nodded, he understood Naruto's point. "Well Naruto, as you know my name is Teuchi, I have things I like and dislike; I like ramen, making ramen, and my daughter Ayame. I already have all that I could ever want in life, I would now just like to watch my daughter grow up."

The blue eyed boy had finished his last bowl of ramen and was currently downing the broth. As he gulped down the last of the liquid and set the bowl down, he wiped his mouth one last time and asked, "How old is your daughter Teuchi-san?"

Grabbing all the bowls and stacking them together, Teuchi answered back while walking to the kitchen, "Ayame-chan is twelve, Naruto, so only a couple years older than you." The ramen chef then proceeded to clean the bowls, giving Naruto ample time to think about his current situation.

'_Well so nothing bad has happened. Well so far…' _Naruto was broken out of his continuously depressing thought pattern by the return of Teuchi. Teuchi sat back down in his stool and prepared to question the blonde haired child.

"Naruto what do you plan on doing now?"

Naruto gave a slightly sheepish smile as he averted his gaze to the left and scratched the back of his head, "Well uh… I don't know Teuchi-san what I'm going to do Teuchi-san."

The self-proclaimed owner of the best ramen stand in the world rubbed his chin deep in thought, _'Of course he wouldn't have anywhere to go, stupid question. I just can't leave him here alone, I suppose I could take him and let him sleep at my place, I'm sure he would be more comfortable with a person his own age there. And in the morning I can try to get a meeting with the Hokage, try to see… no that would just be a waste of time, he's just an orphan, and plus the Hokage can use the day for better things then talking to an old ramen chef. Well I'll just figure it out as we go along then.' _Ending his inner decision making Teuchi looked towards Naruto, who was currently still looking downtrodden.

"Say Naruto would you like to stay at my home until we can figure out a solution towards your current situation?" Upon the end of is question Naruto's head shot straight back up with a look of pure happiness, although if one were to look in his oceanic blue eyes they would see a small amount of trepidation in their depths.

"You really mean that?! I could stay with you?" Naruto was resisting the urge to jump out of pure joy; he had a place to sleep tonight that wasn't a cardboard box in an alleyway!

Teuchi gave the small blonde a heartfelt smile, "Of course you can! I invited you didn't I?"

The young boy gave the chef a matching smile and vigorously nodded his head in conformation. Naruto then calmed down enough to ask Teuchi, "So what do we do now Teuchi-san?"

"Well, let me just finish up closing the store and we can go back to my house and you can meet my daughter. Then we'll figure out where you're going to sleep." Teuchi then patted Naruto on the head and departed back to the kitchen.

**XXX**

Naruto only had to wait a few moments for Teuchi to be finished with his remaining duties, and before he knew it Teuchi had ushered him out of the ramen stand and shut the curtains. Gesturing to Naruto, Teuchi walked into the direction of his house.

They walked for a few minutes before Naruto decided he wanted learn more about the place they were travelling to, so the child turned his head and questioned, "Hey Teuchi, what's your house look like?"

Hearing Naruto's curiosity soaking in the question Teuchi promptly responded, "Well Naruto it's a rather normal home you could say, average size and access to utilities. But, it is home, and that is all that matters."

Naruto slowly nodded his head, while thinking over what Teuchi had said. _'Home… a home. Just what is a home? Will I ever know what a home is? Ever have that privilege?' _Naruto ending his thought train before it could go any further down the track of depression. Although he could not stop one last thought from surfacing, _'I promise myself, I will find my home.'_

**XXX**

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood on the back terrace leading to his clan compound's spacious garden; in his hand he held the Hokage hat, drenched by the nightly rain that started falling only a few moments ago. Covered from the rain Sarutobi made his way to a table and chair that sat only a few feet away. Setting the soaked hat on the table he gave a deep sigh and descended into the chair.

Sarutobi reached into one of the pockets in his robes and withdrew his old, battered pipe, setting the pipe on the table next to his hat; Hiruzen withdrew a package of tobacco and placed it in the large opening of the item. Drawing the stick to his mouth the old Hokage lit it with a minor katon jutsu.

Taking a deep drag, the elderly man stood once again and walked to the edge of the terrace, gazing at the rain with an eye that had the experience and wisdom only a few would ever attain. Hiruzen stayed in that position for a few minutes as his mind was dealing with its inner monologue.

'_How long have I been Hokage? Decades now, I have led this village through two wars, and countless other conflicts. I have had the gift and curse of seeing the ninja of Konoha strive for greatness, only to return disfigured or dead on orders and missions I sent them on.' _Sarutobi took another long drag from his pipe. He then turned and sat back down on the table.

'_The time of my generation is nearly passed; it will soon be time for the future generations to take the reins of Konoha. I thought I could entrust this position to Minato, but he has passed on to the next life. But there is no one more suitable at this time to take this soaked hat from my head.' _A sigh escaped from the old man's mouth.

"But I will continue to hold on to this hat, for it is the duty of the old to guide the young, until the time is right for them to take charge." With his resolve set Sarutobi put out his pipe and went inside, intent on gaining a few hours of sleep.

Before he fully left the terrace one more thought entered the man's head, _'Blasted paperwork, I swear that's all I do these days.' _

**XXX**

Naruto and Teuchi had finally finished the brief walk to the chef's home; although they did end up in a mad dash the last minute or so to escape the newly pouring rain. Wet, yet not thoroughly soaked, the blonde youth and the elderly chef escaped the rain by finally walking under the porch that covered the entrance to Teuchi's home.

They then entered the home with Teuchi motioning to Naruto to be quiet. Slipping his shoes off next to the door, Teuchi signaled for Naruto to follow him. They walked into what appeared to be the living room of the house, adequately furnished, it was just as Teuchi had described it on their way here.

AS they entered the room Teuchi turned around to face Naruto. His voice barely rising above a whisper Teuchi spread his arms in a grandiose manner and addressed the young blonde, "Welcome to my home Naruto." At the conclusion of his line Teuchi gave a deep bow, causing Naruto to gain a small sweat drop at the display, but before the boy could say anything back Teuchi had already continued, "Stay here kid, I'll be back in a few minutes."

With the ending of statement Teuchi walked further into his house, leaving Naruto alone in the living room. Naruto spotted a couch lining one of the walls and took a seat on it. He only had to wait a couple of minutes before Teuchi had walked back into the living room, carrying a folded up sleeping roll.

Laying the roll on the ground and unfolding it, Teuchi finished the task in a few seconds. Standing back up and stretching his back, the ramen chef spoke in the same whisper like tone as before, "You'll sleep here tonight Naruto, and then you can meet Ayame-chan in the morning. We'll also figure out your situation in the morning as well, try to come up with some kind of a solution." With that said Teuchi departed once again to his room.

Before he could go though, Naruto managed to creak out, "Thank you."

Upon hearing the young boy's gratitude the old chef turned around a final time, "Don't mention it kid."

As Naruto lay in his bed roll that night, he could not help but give a happy sigh for the first time in his life.


End file.
